Illinois lawmakers shoot down drone hunting plan
Illinois lawmakers Thursday shot down a plan aimed at keeping hunters from using flying drones to find game.
The legislation, from state Sen. Julie Morrison, a Deerfield Democrat, would ban hunting on land where a drone has been used in the last 24 hours.
The flying machines and the cameras attached to them can be used by hunters to spot deer or other animals, so grounding them takes an advantage away from a hunter.
"We would not be the first state to ban hunting (with) drones," Morrison said.
The plan was rejected in the Illinois Senate, falling one vote short of approval, but Morrison kept the proposal alive for another possible vote next week.
Some Republicans argued Morrison's plan has the potential to get people in trouble for no reason as more farmers use drones to survey their crops.
State Sen. Jim Oberweis, a Sugar Grove Republican, said he owns a drone.
He asked Morrison if people hunting on a farm could get in trouble if he had happened to fly a drone on the same land.
"It seems like a reasonable idea in concept, but I am concerned about the clarity," Oberweis said.
Morrison said it would be up to conservation police to use discretion in enforcing the law and the hunters shouldn't run afoul of the proposed law if they had not seen photos or video from the drone.